WWYD - DS diagnosed with cat allergy, doctor says we must rehome cat, but DS' symptoms seem very mild (almost non-existent?)

[TheBronzeHorsewoman]

DS1 turned 4 this August. He never displayed any allergies to anything apart from the odd few patches of dry skin when I started to wean him at 6 months, and which I could never link to a particular food. They cleared up completely when he turned one.

This May, however, he suddenly came over all hay-feverish - had a permanent runny nose and dark circles under his eyes. After a month or so of this, I took him to the doctor's and we were referred to an allergy specialist who did blood tests which revealed high levels of allergy to tree pollen, cats and meadow grasses. The allergy specialist told us to get rid of our cat immediately and keep all windows etc. closed during the pollen season.

I was pretty devastated about the cat (who pre-dates DS) but started making enquiries about what I would need to do to send him to the UK to my mum's (we live abroad, Eastern Europe). While I was making these enquiries, however, DS's symptoms sort of cleared up and had pretty much disappeared completely by the end of June - despite the cat continuing to live with us.

Five months on and I still monitor DS1 daily for any signs of a reaction, but apart from the first 10 minutes after he wakes up in the morning, when his nose does seem a bit blocked, he is showing no other signs. His nose is usually completely clear by the time he has had breakfast and washed his face.

Today I saw the doctor again for a routine check-up of DS2. She asked specifically about whether we had rehomed the cat, and when I said that we hadn't, and told her about DS1's lack of symptoms, she intimated that we were being irresponsible and that DS1 could become asthmatic if we didn't.

Obviously, the LAST thing I would do would be to endanger DS1's health in any way, but OTOH I don't want to have to rehome the cat (at huge cost, both financial and emotional) if DS genuinely doesn't have any reaction to him at all.

WWYD? Would be grateful for the views of anyone who has been through something similar.

I get it too (adult) and I like cats.

washing hands and face after touching cat helps a lot (skin and eyes get sore and itchy), and you won't stop DS touching his face and eyes. You mustn't let the cat sleep on his bed or clothes or especially pillow.

the antihistamine syrups sold for hayfever are good for stopping the symptoms. I believe they can be used on over-4's and it doesn't do any harm to take them for long periods, but you really do need to take your doc's advice.

The OP's child isn't miserable though. He probably would be if his cat was taken away.
He had symptoms of hay fever. When the hay fever season waned so did his symptoms. My dh is exactly the same and has been so since childhood. If he inhaled our cat he would react but otherwise not.

From a personal perspective, being near cats makes me feel terrible. I'm well aware that exposure could make me asthmatic. As an adult, I can make the choice to avoid this. As a child, I would be dependent upon parents to make choices to ensure I didn't have a lifelong illness such as asthmas as a result of prolonged exposure to a cat. For me it's a simple decision - being responsible for a child's health comes way above rehoming a cat.

Is there some reason to believe that having a cat can cause athsma to develop?

I am surprised by the idea that an allergy can cause asthma. I've never heard of the before. Is that an actual proven fact or an old wives tale? Is it supposed to be true of all allergies or just cat?

I could understand considering keeping the cat if DS and cat (along with ramping up things like petal cleanse/reducing soft furnishings etc) were so attached to one another it would be distressing for them to part but OP as you said the cat HATES your DS. So DS doesn't even get any joy from the cat being around but has to suffer the consequences? Sounds like quite a selfish choice from your point of view and does become more like DS vs cat as opposed to oh no I am being told to get rehome cat due to DS allergies but DS loves cat and is distraught. Does DS like the cat even though it hates him?

Do any of your neighbours feed your cat when it's out and about? Just wondering whether there's any room for a cat-share with a neighbour until you can afford to send the cat back to your mother's?

I like the idea of putting the cat in the cattery for a couple of weeks and seeing if there is any difference in DS - however I doubt there will be as he doesn't really seem to be having any symptoms.

I suffer from horrible hayfever and oral allergy syndrome and was sent for skin prick and rast testing a few years ago. I tested positive for the pollens as expected, but I also tested positive for a number of other things, including peanuts, cats and dogs. I've never suffered any reaction to any of those things, and earlier this year we got a cat. I've had absolutely no reaction - my allergy symptoms follow the same pattern as they have done in other years!

I'm not a doctor, but I'm sure most would tell you to interpret the results in the context of your sons symptoms.

putting the cat in the cattery for a few weeks will make no difference as it takes a good 6mths for all traces of the cat hair and dander to go from a home. i think the op said as much on the first page.

tbh i would get rid of the cat as even tho your son is only reacting mildly now the chances are high that the allergy may well get worse and it is not worth the risk imo, this is yours sons health you are thinking of.

I think it's a very hard decision, I'm allergic to rabbits but I have 2!! I just don't cuddle them for too long and make sure I Hoover lots when they are indoors, my oh is allergic to lots of furry things but avoids where he can, we still stay with both sets of parents who have a cat or dogs, they stay out of the bedroom and he takes antihistamines.
From what I understand having allergies doesn't give you asthma, but people who have allergies, dry skin and more likely to develop asthma as they are related illnesses (not sure if thats the right word!!) so I guess whether or not you get rid of the cat he could still develop asthma and will prob come into contact with cats as I'm sure you aren't the only ones to have one! Long post, I'll be quiet now

i'd ask the specialist why my child only appears to be allergic to the cat from may to june

it's far more likely to be tree or grass pollen at that time of year....are they going to remove trees from Europe too??

eyebrows allergies come with all sort of symptoms that can change over time. one is allergic asthma. so yes if someone is allergic with itchy eyes and runny nose, it can develop into asthma later.

It is possible to score highly on rast testing and still have a mild reaction. The test simply shows the likelihood of being allergic rather than the likely strength of a reaction. However, reactions can vary and repeated exposure might make things worse. My sister used to get a bit sneezy around our dog. She now has a variety of reactions to dogs, from mild itchiness to hives and wheezing depending on the circumstances.

I would imagine that if your cat is rolling around in the grass, climbing trees, etc during pollen season, it is then bringing allergens into the house that will exacerbate your DS's hayfever. Even if they don't go near each other, pollen etc will be present on furniture, carpets, etc.

If it were me, I'd be rehoming the cat asap. Not worth the risk in my opinion. As the mother of a dc recently diagnosed with egg and nut allergies I can tell you that the guilt I feel for everything I did/didn't do during pregnancy is terrible, even though I know there was really nothing I could have done to avoid this situation. You may think I'm being melodramatic, but I wouldn't want to be looking back and asking myself 'what if...'

Thank you everyone for all your input on this.

I think, sadly, that it's just not worth the risk of keeping the cat. I would never be able to forgive myself if DS did go on to develop asthma because of this.

Bringing animals into the UK is apparently set to get substantially easier as of 1 January 2012 (far less paperwork will be required) so I think we will hang onto the cat until then and then fly him across early in the New Year.

Actually he will probably have a much nicer life in the UK with my mum than here with us - I will just really miss him!

Thanks again for sharing your experiences.

I would rehome the cat if he is allergic and showing symptoms, as even mild allergic symptoms are very annoying when it's an everyday problem. Who wants to wake up snotty every day?

That said, I'd seek a second medical opinion before rehoming the cat. I understand it's a big emotional pull for you.

Also, why not attempt to rehome the cat where you live now? Probably an easier move for the cat than an international one.

tx12noone, thanks, I have thought of seeking a second medical opinion. The problem is that we are in Russia where there aren't all that many health care places that I trust. We could try and get DS tested again next time we are in the UK, but we probably won't be visiting until late spring of next year, and I just don't know if I want to risk hanging on that long.

Re. rehoming him locally - I have asked around my friends and acquaintances, but unfortunately most people here live in really small flats and people usually already have pets. Also they wouldn't meet my exacting standards of care for him.

My DD is allergic to cats, we have three, and we had one when she was born. The first thing she did when she left home for her own home was get a cat, she would never be without one.

She becomes fairly tolerant after a while, each new cat caused a problem initially, but the love for them and the affection in return outweighed the snufffles!

If the allergy symptoms cleared up at the end of June, then it's not the cat causing the problem. I have a cat, and one dd and my dh who are both allergic to cats. They have built up a complete tolerance to our cat and are only allergic to other cats. Unless your son has asthma, I don't see why you would have to get rid of the cat. My dd has allergies to nuts and we have found out today - shellfish:(. We of course avoid these things, but the cat will stay! If however, cat allergy becomes a problem for my dd, then the cat will have to be rehomed, but for the past 4 years it hasn't been an issue.
I can't see where your dr is coming from if the allergy symptoms have gone - it's simply not a problem if there are no symptoms.

here we are
www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/104875790/rehoming-due-to-allergies.html

As there are other allergies involved other than just cat, I'd look at getting desensitisation injections. They're magic -- I had a series of them about ten years ago (including cat) and talk about fantastic... they really work.

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Since your child has multiple allergies, it is your responsibility, IMO, to reduce his exposure to as many of them as you can.

I am allergic to cats. We had one when I was very young. AFAIK my allergy developed many years later. I also developed asthma at the same age as your son. My asthma disappeared in my 30s, I believe, due to regular running - ie not due to my 'growing out' of it. My cat allergy has not.

If your son is exposed to multiple allergies on a continual basis it could have a more serious effect than you realise. Nobody knows this for sure; there is only one way to find this out. Is it worth taking that risk?

Is it well known that mild allergies like this develop into asthma?

As far as we were told when dd had allergy testing, the results are only meaningful in the context of an actual reaction going along with the test. Dd initially had positive skin prick tests to dairy, wheat, egg and peanut. She had had a bad reaction to dairy but never to any of the other foods. The hospital certainly didn't suggest we cut them out of her diet. She eats them all with no adverse reaction, several years down the line. Still allergic to dairy though.

I'm no expert but know that people with atopy are more likely in any case to develop asthma, so it's not clear to me that it is easy to make a definite causal connection between continued exposure to an allergen and asthma - most likely the asthma would've developed anyway. And though you have control over the cat, the pollen is obviously not something you can do much about.

That said, you must obviously do whatever makes you least anxious.